FIR against ex-secretary & ex-sarpanch of Reis Magos

Panaji: The anti-corruption branch of the directorate of vigilance on Tuesday registered an FIR against Subodh Prabhu, the then panchayat secretary of Reis Magos village panchayat, and Prasanna Nagvekar, the then sarpanch, for alleged misuse of powers in allotting house numbers. The FIR is registered upon a complaint lodged by the block development officer, Bardez (1&11), Mapusa.
Police said the panchayat received an application from Suraj Shah who proposed himself as the authorised representative of Binoy Berry.Berry is the representative of a private company Spark Healthline.
The company had bought property within the jurisdiction of the panchayat in survey numbers 96/6 and 95/1-A. In his application, Shah had stated that five houses were existing since more than 100 years ago in survey no. 96/6 and house tax details were not reflecting in the panchayat’s records.
He requested the panchayat to rectify the records and complete the registration formalities. He also offered to pay all the necessary taxes, levies and penalties. The accused were acting in the capacity as the secretary and sarpanch, respectively, during the relevant period.
The application was processed on the same day and a resolution was passed stating that the existing five structures in survey no. 96/6 should be assessed for house tax purpose and levy of garbage tax. These structures were allotted house nos. K-86, K-87, K-88, K-89 and K-90. However, ACB in a press note maintained that no such structures were existing in property bearing survey no 96/6. Instead, they were existing in survey no.95/1-A, owned by Spark Healthline.
The sale deed dated June 27, 2005 in respect of purchase of the property measuring 30,451 sqm under survey numbers 95/1-A and 96/6 had no mention of such structures, the ACB said.
“The property in survey number 95/1-A and 96/6 falls in ‘no development zone’ of CRZ area and therefore no new construction is permissible except for repairs and renovation, and at the most reconstruction,” ACB said.